CNYang85

Conference in Honor of

CN Yang's 85th Birthday

Statistical physics, high energy, condensed matter & mathematical physics
 
Swissotel Merchant Court

31 October – 3 November 2007, Singapore

VENUE 

Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore (location map)

The Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore is located near the banks of the Singapore River, next to the North-East Line (NEL) at the Clarke Quay Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station.  The new Central shopping mall, with over 280 interesting shops, is situated right above the MRT station. While Clarke Quay offers bountiful dining and entertainment hotspots just opposite the hotel, nearby Chinatown is also easily accessible by public transport. 

Facilities available at the hotel include a free-form swimming pool, an outdoor jacuzzi and a gymnasium. There is also the Amrita Spa which offers hotel guests a full range of therapeutic treatments. All hotel function rooms, where the conference will be held, are equipped with broadband Internet access.

Address:
Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore
20 Merchant Road, Singapore 058281
Tel: (65) 6337 2288   Fax: (65) 6334 0606
Email: singapore-merchantcourt@swissotel.com

Getting there

By Taxi

A one-way trip from Singapore Changi International Airport to Swissotel Merchant Court will cost about S$20-25 by the meter of a normal taxi. Depending on the time of boarding, special surcharges may apply. Please scroll down to the section on "Transport" under "General Tourist Information" for these surcharges.

Alternatively, participants may also choose to take a limosine taxi that charges a flat rate of S$35 (+$10 for midnight surcharge if time of arrival is after midnight) to anywhere in Singapore.

By Mass Rapid Transit, MRT (Subway)

The nearest MRT Station to Swiss Merchant Court is Clarke Quay Station (NE5). From Singapore Changi International Airport, participants can take the MRT from Changi Airport Station (CG2) of the East-West Line to City Hall Interchange Station(NS25/EW13) where they will transfer to the North South Line train to Dhoby Ghaut Station (NS24/NE6). From then, participants will board the North-East Line to Clarke Quay Station which is one station away from Dhoby Ghaut Station.

Please refer to the SMRT route map of the MRT for directions.

Accommodation

Participants for this conference may choose to stay in Swissotel Merchant Court, Singapore. Special rates offered to participants for this conference are as follows:

To find out more about the other rooms types available at the Swissotel Merchant Court, please click here.

Participants may also choose to stay at Nanyang Executive Centre (NEC) at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. A single room costs S$100 a day while a shared double room costs S$120 a day. Click here for the complete rates.

Shuttle service between NEC and Swissotel Merchant Court will be available.

Participants who wish to stay at the above two hotels may write in to iasntu.edu.sg with your flight details to make your bookings via the conference secretariat. Accommodation charges will be paid by participants directly to the hotel upon checkout unless special arrangements have been advised.

The following are other accommodation options nearby the conference venue. Participants are required to make their own accommodation arrangements should they choose to stay at places other than NEC and Swissotel Merchant Court.

Food

There is a great variety of food places to choose from both within the hotel as well as along the Singapore River. The nearest shopping mall, Central, itself houses cafés, food courts, fast-food restaurants and other restaurants that offer international cuisines in a fully air-conditioned environment. Food prices vary greatly, ranging from about $5 at the food courts, to over S$50 at some restaurants. Please click here for a list of eating places available at The Central Mall and other restaurants at Clarke Quay within walking distance from the hotel.

At the universities, the price of food seldom exceeds S$5 and you can often get a decent meal for much less.

General Tourist Information

Travel information

Situated at one of the most important crossroads of the world, Singapore is truly a place where East and West come together. The Republic.s geographical location (between latitudes 1°09.N & 1°29.N and longitudes 103°38.E & 104°05.E) has long been instrumental in Singapore.s growth as an important centre in trade, tourism and communications.

Click here to visit Singapore Tourism Board for more about travellers essentials.

To know more about Singapore,please visit UNIQUELY SINGAPORE. We also have compiled some of our favourite place of interests here.

Visa

Generally, foreigners who do not require visas for entry and are visiting Singapore astourists, may be given up to 30-day social visit passes upon their arrival in Singapore.

For the list of countries that need visa to Singapore, please refer to the Singapore Checkpoint Authority website here.

To find out more about the types of visas and to download the necessary application forms, click here.

Banking

The local currency is Singapore dollars and cents. Notes come in denominations of SGD 2, SGD 5, SGD 10,SGD 50, SGD 100, SGD 500, SGD 1,000, and SGD 10,000. Coins come in denominations of 10, 20 and 50 cents and SGD 1.

Banking hours are Monday to Friday: 10 am to 3 pm, and Saturday: 9.30 am to 1 pm (some banks are open until 3 pm). Sunday, 9.30 am to 3 pm (some banks in Orchard Road). Most banks handle travellers cheques and change foreign currencies. However, some banks do not have foreign exchange dealings on Saturday. Passports are required when cashing travellers cheques. A nominal commission may be charged.

Food

There are plenty of food choices in Singapore. Some eating places include non-air-conditioned neighbourhood coffee shops and hawker centres, air-conditioned food courts located at various shopping centres conveniently located near MRT (Mass Rapic Transport) stations, and other air-conditioned restaurants located also in various shopping centres and hotels.

Currency

Other than the Singapore Dollar, the Australian Dollars, Yen and British Pound are also accepted in most major shopping centres and big departmental stores.

An online currency converter service is available at asiaone.

Drinking Water

It is perfectly safe to drink water straight from the tap in Singapore. However, for those who prefer bottled mineral water, local supermarkets and grocers always have ample stocks.

Electricity

Singapore voltage is 220-240 volts AC, 50 cycles per second. On request, most hotels will provide transformers to visitors with electrical appliances of a different voltage, such as 110-120 volts, 60 cycles per second. When shopping for electrical appliances, do remember to check the voltage of the item against the acceptable voltage in your home country. The power plugs used in Singapore are of the three-pin, square-shaped type.

Useful Telephone Numbers

Here is a list of useful telephone numbers.

Police: 999 (toll-free)

Emergencies/Ambulance/Fire Brigade: 995 (toll-free)

Singapore Tourism Board Touristline: 1800 736 2000
(24-hr automated tourist information system; toll-free in Singapore only)

Time of day: 1711

Weather: (65) 6542 7788

Transport

Getting around Singapore is easy and inexpensive. Excellent bus services complement one of the world's most modern and efficient Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems. The island's plentiful taxis are metered and air-conditioned. Self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars can be hired from a number of operators. Even trishaws can be hired for a new adventure in sightseeing.

Taxi

Over 15,000 air-conditioned cabs provide comfortable, hassle-free travel at a very reasonable cost. They can be flagged down 24 hours a day on most roads, with well-marked taxi-stands available outside most major shopping centres and hotels. For traveling by taxi, the various surcharge that one needs to pay in addition to the meter fare are:

Airport surcharge for every trip starting from Singapore Changi Airport

• 5pm to midnight on Friday, Saturday and Sunday : S$5.00
• All other times : S$3.00 Peak

Period surcharge
Monday - Saturday 7.30am to 9.30am, 5.00pm to 8.00pm : S$1.00

Midnight surcharge
12 midnight to 6.00am : 50% of meter fare

Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) surcharge
ERP surcharges incurred during trips as shown on the IU are payable by commuters during operational hours

Payment of fare by credit card
extra 10% of fare

Current call booking of taxi
S$3.00

Advance booking of taxi (at least half an hour in advance)
S$5.00  

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)

Changi Airport MRT extension was completed in February 2002. With the Changi Airport MRT extension, passengers now enjoy greater convenience and accessibility. From ChangiAirport to the city center, all it takes is a 27-minute ride and with its affordable fares, it is one of the more economical ways to get from the city to the airport and back. MRT is one of the most convenient, cheapest and fastest means of transportation in Singapore and is a hallmark of efficiency as it is clean, punctual and air-conditioned.
The trains operate from 6am to midnight at frequencies of 3 to 8 minutes. Travelling on the MRT is cheap, with rides ranging from S$0.90 to a maximum of S$1.80. There are fines for littering, smoking, eating and drinking in MRT stations and on board the trains.

Tourist Day Ticket priced at S$10 allows you to take up to 12 rides a day regardless of distance travelled, on the MRT and on all basic fare bus services. You will need to inform the ticketing officer of the exact date you wish to use the card as it is printed on the card and valid for that day only. Tickets can be bought at any MRT Control Station.  

Bus

You can easily get from one point to another by bus with a EZ-Link card which can also be used on the MRT. The fares are S$0.60 to S$1.30 for non air-conditioned buses and S$0.70 to S$1.60 for air-conditioned buses. Exact fare is required so it would be best to check with the bus driver on the appropriate fare for your destination. The buses operate from 6am until midnight every day.

Airport Shuttle

This is a scheduled shuttle service with flexible routing between the Singapore Changi Airport and almost all hotels within the city (excluding hotels on Sentosa Island and Le Meridien Changi. There are also flexible alighting points at any destination with the Central Business District including MRT stations. The 6-seater Maxi Cab has wheelchair accessible features and luggage room.

The Airport Shuttle operates from 9am to 11pm at frequencies of 30 minutes (9am to 6pm) and 15 minutes (6pm to 11pm).

The fares are S$7.00 for adults and S$5.00 for children.

Booking can be made at the airport shuttle counters located in the arrival hall of Changi Airport Terminals 1 and 2. Payment is made to the MaxiCab driver who will accept cash, major credit cards and charge cards.